Beverage Container Sleeve and Plug and Method of Manufacturing Same

ABSTRACT

A plug for use with a beverage container that can optionally be integrated into a sleeve. The sleeve can be made of a single layer of paper-based material that is embossed on one surface with protrusions that mimic the fluting of traditional single-layer corrugate. Some embodiments also have a second flat linerboard layer attached to the first embossed layer. The sleeve material can feature perforations that surround a protrusion making the plug removable from the sleeve. In addition, the flattened portion of the plug can contain a cutout portion that makes it easier for the user to grip a section of the flattened portion of the plug.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/191,379 filed on May 21, 2021. The content of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/191,379 filed on May 21, 2021 is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (a) Field of the Invention

The present invention is in the technical fields of packaging and beverage containers. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a novel plug for a beverage container and a method of manufacturing the plug and the sleeve into which it can be optionally integrated.

(b) Background Art

Popularly consumed beverages such as coffee are frequently served in insulated, disposable containers that feature disposable lids with an opening through which the beverage can be poured for consumption with the lid in place. This arrangement is especially useful for hot beverages as the insulating container helps to protect the consumer from the hot beverage inside the container.

Some retailers provide a plastic plug or similar device for the opening in the surface of the lid. Some of these plugs consist merely of stickers meant to cover the hole in the lid and others are plugs that fit into the opening. The plug is usually a plastic implement that can fit into a small opening in the beverage container lid and blocks the opening in the beverage container lid thereby decreasing the chances of spillage. The plug consists of a flared body that is sized and shaped, i.e. configured, to fit into the opening in the beverage container lid and be held in place by friction. In addition, the plug can be shaped such that only a portion of it fits into the opening of the beverage container lid and then gravity and/or friction can hold the plug in place.

Because hot beverages will heat the entire container in which they are placed, it is common for sleeves made of paper or cardboard to be added to the insulated cup to provide extra protection for the consumer. Coffee cup sleeves are frequently made of a single strip of corrugate, i.e. corrugated cardboard missing one of the flat linerboards. This configuration keeps the sleeve cooler than the beverage container because (1) air can pass through the flutes of the corrugated cardboard and (2) the entire inner surface of the sleeve is not in contact with the hot beverage container thereby limiting the heat transfer from the beverage container to the sleeve.

Currently, the plug and the sleeve are separate structures that are sold separately and are not configured in any way to be stored together. In addition, sleeves made of single layer corrugate use a lot of material to make the fluting present in such materials. A second layer of material needs to be folded repeatedly to make that fluting prior to its being attached to the flat linerboard. The inventor has devised a plug that is integrated into the sleeve and is easier to manufacture without using as much paper-based material.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a plug for a beverage container that can be, optionally, integrated into a beverage sleeve, that is to say the plug can be a standalone structure, or it can be made into part of the beverage sleeve itself. Other embodiments may integrate the plug into the beverage container or lid. Both embodiments use the same embossed technique to achieve the shape that is both a plug and functions as the flute design.

The sleeve into which the device is integrated typically has an outer surface that faces away from the beverage container and an inner surface that contacts a portion of the outer surface of the beverage container. In some embodiments of the plug, the plug is a rounded piece of cardboard or other material that covers the opening in the lid and inserts partially into the opening. In some embodiments, the plug has “wings” or flaps attached to a central rounded portion that make it easier for the user to grip the plug. Some embodiments integrate a plastic plug into the underside of the sleeve such that the user can punch out the cardboard to which the plug is attached and use the cardboard attached to the plug as a means of gripping the plug. Other embodiments have a plug that is made of the same paper-based material of which the sleeve is made. Some of these embodiments include a water-proof or water resistant finish on one or both sides of the sleeve to protect the plug that is inserted into the beverage container lid opening. Preferred embodiments feature a sleeve that has the body of the plug embossed on the inner surface of the sleeve in a pattern that mimics the fluting that is typically seen on the inner surface of a typical beverage sleeve. The preferred method of manufacturing the inventive plug and sleeve is to emboss a single layer of paper-based material, preferably a flat sheet of cardboard, with the protrusions in a regular patter such that they mimic the fluting commonly seen in corrugated cardboard. Another single sheet of the same or a similar material is then placed over one side of the embossed sheet of material—the side that does not feature the protrusions—thereby forming a two-layer structure having protrusions on one side that mimic fluting seen on conventional beverage sleeves. However, the protrusions positioned along the inner surface of the sleeve represent a significant improvement over the fluting that is currently present in the prior art because air can flow between the protrusions both horizontally as well as vertically, i.e. the structure of the protrusions and the spacing thereby provided allows for increased air flow between the sleeve and the beverage container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view of a beverage container with the plug in place in the opening of the lid;

FIG. 1B is a side perspective view of the same beverage container with the plug shown as integrated into the sleeve;

FIG. 2A is a top perspective view of the embossed sleeve;

FIG. 2B is a side perspective view thereof FIG. 2C is a bottom perspective view of the beverage sleeve unbfolded;

FIG. 3A is a side perspective view of a beverage container with the sleeve around it showing the plug being removed by hand;

FIG. 3B is a top perspective view showing the plug being placed into the opening of the lid of the beverage container; and

FIG. 4A is a top perspective view of a beverage container and the plug removed;

FIG. 4B is a top perspective view of a beverage container and the plug inserted into the opening in the beverage container;

FIG. 5 is a top perspective view showing a single sheet of material being embossed with protrusions;

FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of a second layer of material being attached to the first layer of material; and

FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of the first and second layers of material being cut into individual sleeves with perforations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1A and 1B show a standard coffee cup 10 with a lid 11 attached thereto. FIG. 1A also shows the sleeve 12 that is frequently sold with a typical hot beverage container 10. The sleeve, in this case is made of single layer corrugate. There is a flattened linerboard portion 13 facing away from the surface of the beverage container 10 and a fluted portion 14 that is in contact with the beverage container 10.

FIG. 1B shows a sleeve 12 with a plug 15 integrated into the sleeve 12 surrounding the beverage container 10. The material that forms the sleeve 12 also forms the plug 15 that in this embodiment is integrated into the sleeve 12. The material forming the sleeve 12 can feature perforations 16 around the plug 15 to make the plug 15 easier to remove from the sleeve 12. In the preferred embodiment and anticipated best mode of this device the surface of the plug 15 features a cutout 17 in the plug 15 that makes it easier for the user to grip an edge of the plug 15 and separate it from the rest of the sleeve 12.

FIG. 1A also shows a typical beverage container with the plug 15 in place in the opening 11 a of the lid 11. In this embodiment, the plug 15 has a flattened portion 15 a attached to a protrusion 15 b that is sized and shaped to fit into the opening 11 a in the lid 11 of the beverage container 10. The embodiments of the flattened portion 15 a of the plug 15 show in FIGS. 1A and 1B are circular, with the exception of the portion that forms the cutout 17. In other embodiments, the shape of the flattened portion 15 a of the plug 15 can be altered as desired by the manufacturer and can even feature shapes meant to mimic trademarks or other forms of branding.

As discussed above, the protrusions 15 b that form the portion of the plug 15 that fit into an opening in a beverage container lid can be made of the same material that is used to make the sleeve 12, i.e. the plug can be integrated into the sleeve such that it is a removable portion of the sleeve. As discussed above, most sleeves are made of single layer corrugate—an outer layer of flattened cardboard attached to an inner layer of folded carboard that forms a plurality of spaces between the beverage container and the outer layer of cardboard. In the preferred embodiment and the inventor's anticipated best mode of practicing this device, the sleeve 12 can be formed of a single layer of paper-based material such as cardboard and the protrusions 15 b can be embossed on an inner surface of that single layer. If desired, more than one layer of cardboard can be used to form the sleeve, but the single-layer configuration decreases the amount of paper product needed to make a single sleeve. The single-layer sleeve can be thought of as having an upper or outer surface 13 and a lower or inner 14 surface. The embossed protrusions 15 b can be arranged on the inner surface 13 of the sleeve 12 such that they substitute or mimic the flutes 14, i.e. the folded cardboard structure that is part of corrugated cardboard. As a result, the embossed protrusions function as the fluting 14 of the sleeve 12 when integrated into the sleeve 12 and as a stand-alone plug 15 for the beverage lid 11 when removed from the sleeve 12.

FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C show the sleeve 12 featuring perforations 16 that form the shape of the plug 15 and also mimic the fluting 14 that is part of the prior-art version of the sleeve 12. The protrusions 15 b can be embossed onto the inner surface 14 of the sleeve 12 in any pattern desired and serve to provide space between an inner surface 14 of the sleeve 12 and the beverage container 10 just as the fluting does in traditional corrugated cardboard sleeves. In preferred embodiments and the inventor's anticipated best mode of the plug 15, the plurality of protrusions 15 b are positioned on the elongated strip of paper-based material 18 in a pattern that allows air to flow between the protrusions 15 b when the elongated strip of paper-based material 18 is wrapped around a beverage container 10 with the inner surface 14 facing the beverage container 10. This configuration represents a significant advance over the prior art in that it allows for more air flow between the beverage container 10 and the sleeve 12. Traditional fluting typically allows air to flow vertically, up and down past the layers of folded material that make up the fluting. The shape of the protrusions in the disclosed device allows air to flow laterally as well, thereby increasing the effectiveness of the sleeve in insulating the user from the heat of the beverage.

The cutout 17 described above is also visible. FIG. 2C shows that the sleeve 12 can be made of a single strip of material 18 that is folded over and attached to itself to make the rounded sleeve 12 that fits around the exterior of the beverage container 10.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show a user removing the plug 15 from the sleeve 12 and putting it in place in the opening 11 a of a beverage container 10. The plug 15 is integrated into the sleeve 12 as discussed above. The user uses their finger to grab an edge of the cutout 17 so that they can grip the plug 15 and pull it free from the sleeve 12.

FIGS. 4A and 4B show the same beverage container 10 with the plug 15 removed and separated from the sleeve 12 and with the plug 15 in place in the opening 11 a of the beverage container 10. The plug 15 features a flattened portion 15 a, a protrusion 15 b and a cutout 17 that makes it easier for the user to use their fingernail to reach under the plug 15 when separating it from the rest of the sleeve 12.

FIG. 5 demonstrates a portion of the manufacturing of the sleeve 12. As discussed above, the sleeve 12 includes a single sheet of paper-based material 18 that has a plurality of protrusions 15 b embossed on a surface of the sheet of paper-based material 18. A single sheet of material 18 is passed between a surface (not shown) and a roller 20 or two rollers that feature a plurality of protrusions 15 b that are pressed into the sheet of material 18 as it passes between the rollers 20. The protrusions 15 b on the roller 20 are thereby imprinted onto a single surface of the material 18 or both surfaces of the sheet of material 18.

FIG. 6 shows the next step in the manufacturing process. After the single sheet of material 18 is embossed with protrusions 15 b on at least one side of the material 18, preferred embodiments of the plug 15 and sleeve 12 have a second layer of material 18 attached to the sheet 18 featuring protrusions 15 b thereby forming a sleeve made of two sheets of material 18, one flat and one with embossed protrusions 15 b.

FIG. 7 shows the final step of the manufacturing process in which the sleeves 12 are cut from the sheets of material 18 formed by the above-described process. At the same time that the sleeves 12 are cut, the perforations 16 that surround at least one of the plugs 15 are added to the sleeve 12.

The advantages of the present invention include, without limitation, the ability to integrate a pug for a beverage container into a sleeve for a beverage container using less material that traditional sleeves require for manufacturing.

In broad embodiment, the present invention is a plug for a beverage container that can be a stand-alone device or can be removably integrated into a sleeve for a beverage container.

Reference throughout the specification to features, advantages, or similar language does not imply that all of the features and advantages that may be realized with the present invention should be or are in any single embodiment of the invention. Rather, language referring to the features and advantages is understood to mean that a specific feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, discussion of the features and advantages, and similar language, throughout the specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment.

Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of the invention.

It is understood that the above described embodiments are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention. The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiment, including the best mode, is to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims, if any, in conjunction with the foregoing description.

While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should therefore not be limited by the above described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention. 

1-18: (canceled)
 19. A sleeve for a beverage container comprising a first elongated strip of material having an inner surface and an outer surface wherein there are a plurality of protrusions on the inner surface of the first elongated strip of material.
 20. The sleeve of claim 19 wherein the plurality of protrusions are formed on the inner surface of the first elongated strip of material by embossing.
 21. The sleeve of claim 20 further comprising a second elongated strip of material that is attached to the outer surface of the first elongated strip of material thereby forming single face stock.
 22. The sleeve of claim 19 further comprising a second plurality of protrusions on the outer surface of the first elongated strip of material.
 23. The sleeve of claim 22 wherein the second plurality of protrusions are formed on the outer surface of the first elongated strip of material by embossing.
 24. The sleeve of claim 23 further comprising a second elongated strip of material that is attached to the outer surface of the first elongated strip of material thereby forming single face stock.
 25. A sleeve for a beverage container comprising a first elongated strip of material having an inner surface and an outer surface wherein there is a first plurality of protrusions on the inner surface of the first elongated strip of material that provide space for air to flow around each of the first plurality of protrusions.
 26. The sleeve of claim 25 wherein the first plurality of protrusions are formed on the inner surface of the first elongated strip of material by embossing.
 27. The sleeve of claim 26 further comprising a second plurality of protrusions formed on the outer surface of the first elongated strip of material.
 28. The sleeve of claim 27 wherein the second plurality of protrusions are formed on the outer surface of the first elongated strip of material by embossing.
 29. The sleeve of claim 25 further comprising a second elongated strip of material that is attached to the outer surface of the first elongated strip of material thereby forming single face stock.
 30. The sleeve of claim 26 further comprising a second elongated strip of material that is attached to the outer surface of the first elongated strip of material thereby forming single face stock.
 31. The sleeve of claim 27 further comprising a second elongated strip of material that is attached to the outer surface of the first elongated strip of material thereby forming single face stock.
 32. The sleeve of claim 28 further comprising a second elongated strip of material that is attached to the outer surface of the first elongated strip of material thereby forming single face stock. 